Our dogs love to sleep on Kuranda Dog beds, but we don't have enough for everyone.
If you would like to donate a bed at a special wholesale price for a another dog to sleep in comfort, please donate a Kuranda dog bed.
1-800-Pet Meds is supporting
the Western Irish Setter Club Rescue Program by generously donating
supplies.
Please visit their blog at
Pet Meds |
Rescuing an Irish Setter
Getting a dog is like adding a new
member to your family. Since this involves a major commitment, it is
important to make the correct breed choice for you and your lifestyle.
Take the time to select a breed whose looks and personality suit you best.
The Irish Setter has been termed by artists to be the most beautiful of
all dogs. With its flowing silky red coat, long ears, soft expressions and
regal bearing, this dog attracts attention wherever it goes. The Irish
Setter is a sweet tempered, lovable, loyal, fun-loving, intelligent, and
people orientated dog. They are hunting dogs and thoroughly enjoy the
opportunity to follow their instincts and find birds. In order to be a
satisfied owner of this beautiful breed, you must honestly evaluate
whether an Irish Setter is the dog for you.
Do you have the patience to train this animal from the time you bring
it home until it matures at two or three years of age?
The Irish Setter is a slow-maturing dog, both mentally and physically.
It stays a puppy for a long time and retains some of its merry Irish
character forever. Some believe that this breed is difficult to train, but
this is not so. The Irish Setter is very smart, sometimes smarter than its
owner, so one must use care and patience in training this dog. Once
learned, a lesson is never forgotten, so it behooves the owner to train a
dog with gentleness and firmness - never harshness or cruelty.
Do you have the requisite exercise facilities, or someone in the family
who will undertake to maintain an exercise regimen faithfully?
Irish Setters need exercise. This is a high energy breed, needing an
area big enough to run and play for it to stretch its legs. This is the
single most important factor in raising a happy and healthy dog. Exercise,
however, does not mean opening the door and allowing the dog to run free.
Irish Setters will follow their noses and cannot be guaranteed to remain
within one's property until they are well along in years. Sometimes this
happy state never occurs. A regular schedule of playing fetch, swimming,
hunting or jogging are some types of exercise that the dog will thoroughly
enjoy. A young Irish Setter will let you know he is not getting enough
exercise or attention by devoting energy to other pursuits such as
chewing, barking, digging, or fence jumping. Either an ample fenced yard
or the means to walk or run the dog daily is a must if you wish to have a
happy and adjusted Irish Setter.
Do you have the temperament and the sense of humor to enjoy an Irish
Setter? Are you committed to a lifetime of care and responsibility for
this animal?
Along with its beautiful appearance, the Irish Setter's personality is
fun-loving, playful and affectionate. The breed standard calls for a
"rollicking" temperament, and anyone who has had the pleasure of
raising an Irish Setter puppy can tell you exactly what that means! It is
mischievous and independent, intelligent and stubborn, anxious to please
and yet determined to have its way if it decides to go hunting or steal a
treasure from a closet or drawer. They thoroughly enjoy toys of all sorts,
like to carry things around (where did that other sock go?), can be
complete clowns one moment and look as regal as kings the next. This joy
for living continues throughout an Irish Setter's life.
Grooming is a must for this breed. It is not as intense as for some other
breeds, but must be done on a regular basis to keep the beautiful flowing
coat looking good.
Do you have the space to accommodate an exuberant dog that may grow to
80 pounds, with a tail that swishes everything off the coffee table? Are
you prepared to include your dog as a true member of the family?
Even though Irish Setters are a large breed,
they do best if they are kept as house dogs. The breed is naturally clean
and fastidious and will housetrain quickly. They require constant
interaction with people and do not do well as "outside" dogs.
They love to be with people and will adapt to riding in a car, preferably
in a crate where they can stretch out comfortably and be secure. Their
favorite sleeping place is your bed and pillow. This breed is not
aggressive but will energetically announce the arrival of all comers, and
if put to the test has been known to protect its owners from harm.
If you can honestly answer
affirmatively to all these considerations, then perhaps an Irish Setter is
the dog for you.
The Western Irish Setter Club's Rescue and Adoption Program is dedicated
to the welfare of all needy Irish Setters. The program is part of a
national network through the Irish
Setter Club of America that rescues these wonderful dogs from animal
pounds, inhumane living conditions, and other situations which leave
owners unwilling or unable to keep and care for them. We assess the
condition of each dog, provide any necessary medical attention and tests,
arrange for spaying/neutering, and then place the dogs in foster homes
until a permanent home can be found.
Our goal is to place all rescued Irish Setters in homes that will provide
both the love and care the dog needs for the rest of its life and the
opportunity for the lucky new owner to enjoy the loyalty and devotion an
Irish Setter has to offer.
Don't be surprised if a Rescue representative asks as many questions about
you as you ask about the dog. In fact, be happy that Rescue is concerned
about where these dogs are going. We want to make sure the dogs are going
to appropriate homes where they will be happy and well cared for their
entire lives.
The above narrative has outlined traits of a “typical” Irish Setter,
however, each dog is an individual and we do not know the background of
every rescue dog. Some rescue dogs may have been abused or neglected; some
may be insecure from losing their homes and families. Your new dog may
require extra time and patience to adjust to you and your lifestyle, but
it can and has been done.
When you adopt an Irish Setter from the Western Irish Setter Club’s
Rescue and Adoption program, our members are always available to help.
Whether in person, by phone or email, many of our members offer advice on
housebreaking, training and grooming. If you have questions or just want
to “talk dogs”, we will be there for you.
If you are interested in adopting an
Irish Setter, please fill out the adoption
application (PDF
or
Word Document) and return it to
Jan
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